It seems so simple. So basic of an idea that you wonder why it has not been implemented yet.
It is involuntary care.
As communities across the province grapple with street disorder and a sense of insecurity, involuntary care is seen by many as a solution. Politicians of all stripes have offered it up to concerned residents and businesses as a path forward.
The problem is it is unlikely to be what people are expecting. The expectation is that it will be a panacea; the reality will be quite different.
Used to be that mentally ill and addicted people could still afford cheap (flop) housing.
The problem of homelessness is caused by property owners, investors and government policy - not by its victims.
Involuntary addiction treatment can be helpful at times - sometimes required of physicians, and pilots with substance use problems with great success.
But punishing the poor is just a distraction from the fact that we have homelessness just so landlords can keep raising your rent.
Sometimes I think this homeless class of people is supposed to be an ever present threat. If you don’t want to engage with the capitalist economy, then you end up on the street, seen as less than by the majority of society.
Not to be a “this^” commenter, but you sure said the quiet part out loud. Great insight